Oh i forgot i used a brine shrimp pellet fall to the sand and usually the other fish broke it up and it mixed with the sand. This is how i started feeding my twin spot sand sifter until i got him to flakes. You could try this my jester did get some of this by a miss happ when he sifted. Not sure maybe you could trick him eating and he doesnt even know it. I saw this happend a few times but it certainly did sustain mine off this, but at this point anything might be worth while?